Blood, Bone, and Flesh
by Gwyndolyn Slim
Summary: When Uchiha Madara slaughters his clan before his very eyes and snatches Itachi's beloved younger brother from him, Itachi embarks on a quest to get him back. He soon realises that he'll need the assistance of Hoshigaki Kisame, a high priced bounty hunte


_I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see. I sought my God, but my God eluded me. I sought my brother and I found all three. -Anonymous_

The mansion that Itachi had been raised in was engulfed in flame. Windows had shattered due to the immense heat, and paintings had been burned to a crisp. People ran around as if they were headless chickens, trying to locate their loved ones and children during such an atrocity. Someone had attacked the Uchiha clan in the dead of night, one cold December ninth. Itachi Uchiha, heir to the Uchiha clan, was running towards the main gates of the estate to get to the village. His younger brother, Sasuke, was draped on his back, knocked out from the explosion that had occurred only moments before.

Itachi would have never had thought that such an atrocity would befall upon the Uchiha Clan. He knew that they had a few enemies, but he didn't think that they would go to such lengths.

Another explosion ruptured the earth beneath his feat. Itachi twirled around, seeing people run out of their houses in flames, dropping like flies when they couldn't reach a source of water in time. Itachi was glad Sasuke was unconscious at the time, at his age, this would permanently affect his mental stability.

Continuing his trek towards the main gates, he could hear his father, Fugaku, running up behind him, his wife and a few cousins following close behind. His wife was on his back, unconscious from the explosion.

"Itachi, are you alright?" He asked in a haste.

"I'm fine!" he looked around, eyes widened with disbelief at the carnage that was taking place "What is going on!"

"Someone knocked out the guardsmen that were at the gates and attacked us. I don't know who yet, but I am determined to-argh!" A kunai had planted itself right into Fugaku's chest.

"Father!" Itachi had bent down to look over his father, his mother, a few inches away, had begun to stir from her sleep. She screamed when she saw her husband bleeding profusely.

"Fugaku!" She leaned over her husband, a horrid look on her face.

A dark, evil laughter shook through his body, Itachi turned around, seeing his cousins on the ground dead. Looking up, he saw a cloaked figure standing above him, a mask, an orange one at that, with black swirls, covering his face. A hole in the mask, showing one blood red eye with black commas. This man was a Sharingan wielder. Activating his own, he stood, Katana sheathed.

"Who are you?" He glared at the man, who so dared to defile his clan. He ignored his mothers blubbering behind him.

"Your great uncle, Madara of course," Itachi could feel the smirk beneath the orange and black mask. His blood began to boil.

"What are your motives behind killing my clan?"

A dark chuckle. He shouldered the limp body that was on his shoulder. Itachi's eyes widened.

"Sasuke!" He ran, Katana ready to cut through the other man's chest. With a single finger, Madara broke the blade as if it were a twig. With a harsh kick in the stomach, he was sent flying towards the pile of dead bodies. Itachi soon realized that it was his cousins. Itachi's blood ran cold when he saw the cloaked man leap off with his brother. He gave chase, ignoring his mother once again when she tried to keep him here, with herself and husband. Itachi stood above the Hokage mountain, searching the entirety of the city from there.

There! Itachi jumped, landing on the roof of a building not too far away from the mountain, continuing his chase into the forest surrounding the leaf. He was coming up fast to Madara, the wheels in his Sharingan spinning with vigor. He clenched his Katana's grip, gritting his teeth. Sasuke was his top priority.

He landed a few feet in front of Madara, a look of explicit anger on his face. "Give. Him. Back,"

Another chuckle that added fuel to Itachi's fire. "If you want him so badly, come and get him,"

Itachi didn't need to be told twice. He had sprung from the branch he was settled on, Katana erect, ready to stab the bastard who abducted his little brother.

He landed on the branch, his sword didn't slice through anything but the air and a few leaves in front of him.

"You coward! Show yourself to me at once!" His only reply was that deep chuckle that emitted through the air.

Not too far away, another explosion occurred, and the entirety of the Uchiha estate had been reduced to rubble. Itachi wasn't quick enough to save his mother. Fugaku had died a few moments before the explosion had gone off. There were no survivors other than Itachi and Sasuke. Sasuke's whereabouts were unknown and was officially declared dead by the village council a few months later. Soon after, Itachi had left the village in the dead of night, off to go and find his little brother by whatever means necessary.

Itachi found himself sitting at a table across from a bounty hunter in an old tavern. The bounty hunter, who's name was Hoshigaki Kisame, had ordered them both a little something from off the menu. Trout and a couple bottles of hot sake for himself and a plate of Mitarashi dango and warm tea for Itachi.

"And you need my help because?" Itachi was in the middle of requesting Kisame's assistance before the waiter came over to take their orders.

"Because, this man that I am looking for is much stronger than I am. Surely, you can-"

"Look kid, I'm not here to play adventure with you. I'm a bounty hunter. I don't play search and rescue like you want to do. I search and then destroy," The food had came. Kisame ripped the fried fish off of the stick that is was served on with his teeth. The waiter sat the small cup on the table, but took it back when Kisame gulped it down from the bottle as if it were milk. He bowed and then left them to their meal.

"Hoshigaki-san-"

"Kisame,"

"Pardon?"

"Hoshigaki-san is my father" he chuckled "Or he was before I murdered him. I'm Kisame,"

Itachi eyes widened a fraction when he mention the death of his father. This man was ruthless. "Kisame-san," he couldn't help but put the suffix in his name though, "please, I am in desperate need of your assistance. My brother is in danger, there's a man who's supposed to be dead who has him. I need to rescue him! Please, will you assist me?" Itachi had reached out, holding the other man's much larger brutish hands. Kisame looked him in the eye. He could see the desperation in them.

"Fine, but I want something in compensation,"

The edge of Itachi's mouth twitched, his eyes brightened up a bit, "Anything, Kisame-san,"

"Itachi-san, are you a virgin?"

The air got stuck in his throat and his face was flushed. Itachi made sure that he had stayed a virgin back when his clan was still alive. His father didn't want him 'defiling himself' before he gets married.

"No, I am not. I'm supposed to remain pure until I get married," He refused to call himself a virgin. He felt so womanly when that word was associated with him.

Kisame smirked a sultry smirk, "Tch, traditions. They make people like you all the more alluring," he reached out, stroking Itachi's cheek. He flinched slightly, feeling rough calloused skin up against his smooth cheek. "I accept your request," he held up one finger "on one condition,"

Itachi ignored the fingers that were treading through his hair, "What is it that you want?"

"Your ass. I want your tight virgin ass for me to deflower and defile,"

Itachi, noticing that both his hands were still resting neatly over Kisame's other rugged hand, snatched them back and placing them back in his lap. He clenched them, looking down glaring slightly. He didn't want to give his virginity to some man in a tavern, but he needed his help. He had to save his little brother, and he wouldn't sleep properly at night if an opportunity such as this were to disappear. All he had to do was spread his legs for the much larger, probably much older, man that was sitting across the table from him. He looked up, eyes determined.

"I accept these terms of agreement. Please, do not go back on your word, for I will not go back on mine,"

Kisame leaned in, that sultry look still on his face, "I wouldn't dream of it, baby,"

Itachi couldn't help but let a small blush dust over his face, pet names were new to him. Even his own mother didn't give him a pet name.

Itachi held out his hand, waiting almost eagerly, for Kisame to take it. Kisame smirked, one hand still in Itachi's hair, petting him. Kisame took his hand, gripping Itachi's much smaller hand, then shook on it. The deal was now sealed. Neither of them could go back on their word at this point.

They finished their dinner in a companionable silence, neither wanting to break it, for it they were already comfortable with each other. Kisame had paid for dinner. His logic was that since Itachi was paying for his services with his ass, he might as well pay for everything else. They walked out of the tavern, looking for a nice place to head for the night. In Iwagakure, there was hardly anything in this village besides their Kage mountain and tower, a few taverns, an academy to teach the younger generation of shinobi, a large library, and a few shops littered here and there. Other than that, this village was very dry and lonesome.

"Here's an inn. All the way on the edge of town," Kisame looked up at it, this place needed remodeling, and it needed it now.

The old decrepit building looked as if it were going to collapse at any given moment. Itachi didn't feel quite comfortable with this inn, "Surely there's another inn that has a lot more stability and isn't as old and decrepit as this one,"

"Nope, this is one of the few inns in Iwa. Better get used to sleeping like this princess,"

Itachi glared at Kisame for calling him such an insulting name. Princess, why the very nerve! He followed the larger male into the inn, the receptionist, looked at them, scrunching her nose in distaste.

"How may I help you?" She bit out

"One room, two beds please," Kisame smirked at her, she glared at him.

"That'll be two hundred ryo,"

Kisame paid the receptionist, getting a small key in exchange, "Pleasure doing business with you, Miko-chan," Kisame threw a wink over his shoulder. The woman blushed, then buried her face into her magazine, but not before giving him the finger. Itachi watched the two of them in curiosity, wondering what sort of relationship they were in. Kisame must come to Iwagakure a lot to be on first name basis with the receptionist here.

They entered their average sized dingy room, Itachi ignoring the cobwebs in the corners on the room. He wouldn't be surprised if there were rodents in here. Kisame plopped on the bed, glad that there was no dust on it this time. "Ahh…" Kisame kicked off his sandals then flexed his toes. Every once in a while, one of them would crack and Kisame's grin would widen.

Itachi sat on the bed closest to the window, then unbound his hair, allowing it to splay over his back gently. He looked out of the window, his reflection mimicking his movements, staring out at the village of Iwagakure. It was near evening time, and the academy students were running out of the building, free from their teachers constant blabbering. He remembered when Sasuke was enrolled in the Konoha Ninja Academy. He used to pick him up from school everyday. Sometimes, there would be a small blond child that he would be playing with upon his arrival. Every once in a while, Sasuke would ask Itachi if he could come over, and play shoots and ladders with them. What was his name again? Oh yes, a very hyper and excited Uzumaki Naruto.

He missed those days, before his uncle- no. He refused to call that insane man his uncle, or any family member for that fact. The days before when his responsibilities were to pick up Sasuke from the academy, and go on A and B ranked missions. He missed those days. Those memories made him wish for Sasuke's presence even more. With those memories in his head, he had a will, no, a force to go and find his little brother, Sasuke, from the evil clutches of Madara.

Before he could even stop it from happening, a tear rolled down his cheek, resting at his chin, and dropping down with a splash on his clenched fist. He looked down at the small pool of water, wondering when was the last time he had cried. He felt more roll down his face. If his father had seen him now, he'd be ashamed of Itachi. He imagined everyone looking at him in his moment of vulnerability.

"Oi, Itachi, you alright?"

"I'm fine. I apologize for making you worry," Itachi got up, dashing to the bathroom. He looked himself in the mirror, he was a mess. His eyes were turning red, and it wasn't the red that was from his Sharingan. He couldn't believe himself, crying and showing weakness in front of someone who could possibly kill him. At the age of fifteen, Itachi is a skilled shinobi who should be used to concealing his emotions. His father told him that his emotions were going to be the death of him if he didn't learn to conceal them or if they go too out of control. Itachi ran some water, waiting for it to get scalding hot. He put the stopper in the drainer, then grabbed one of the towels that was on the rack on top of the toilet. He let it soak in the water for a few moments, he ringed it out and then wiped his face with the hot towel. Feeling slightly at ease, with his appearance, he hung up the towel on the shower rack then went back out into the bedroom.

Kisame was sitting on the edge of the bed, a look of worry on his face. "Oi, are you alright? You don't look so hot,"

"I'm fine, Kisame-san. I'm sorry for-,"

"Bullshit. Something's wrong and you're going to tell me, now,"

"Kisame-san, there's nothing wrong!" Itachi walked over to his bed, looking out the window, the sun was setting "I'm fine alright? There's no need to worry about me," he sighed "I'm perfectly fine,"

Kisame didn't break his gaze from Itachi's figure. He shook his head then laid back on his bed staring up at the ceiling.

"Whatever. Just make sure you cry yourself to sleep early. We're heading out at the crack of dawn tomorrow,"

"I understand,"

Sometime in the middle of the night, Kisame had gotten out of bed and left the room. Itachi had woken up when he heard a shriek coming from downstairs. Itachi had gotten up, he was in his underwear, not really clothed to face whomever was out there causing a ruckus. He noticed that Kisame's oddly patterned cloak was still here. He got out of bed then wrapped it around his person. He opened the door silently, then listened closely to what was going on down stairs.

There were yelps and small murmurs emitting from the lower level of the inn. He walked down a few steps, the noise becoming a bit louder than they were before. What sounded like murmurs were now mewls and small moans. A grunt. Itachi became even more curious as to what was happening.

As he stepped on the last stair, he heard something that made his stomach churn. The receptionist, she had just moaned out Kisame's name. Sex. They were having sex! Itachi's heart stopped, his breathing became ragged, and he felt as if he were going to throw up. So this is what betrayal felt like. He dared himself to look around the corner, but decided against it. He had heard enough, he didn't want to see an eyeful as well. He walked back up the stairs, just as quiet as he had walked down them.

Laying down on his bed, Itachi stared out into the black, inky sky. The sun was going to arise in a matter of hours. He ignored the few sounds that inked through the walls, then finally submerged back into sleep, Kisame's cloak still wrapped around him like a blanket.

Early the next morning, Itachi was shaken awake by Kisame's large blue hands.

"Mornin' Princess!" he exclaimed excitedly

Itachi sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. His hair was in a frenzy and Kisame's cloak was shifting slightly, falling off of his shoulder, revealing a bit of rosy skin.

"Has anyone ever told you you look completely fuckable when you wake up?"

Itachi looked over at Kisame, who currently wasn't sporting a shirt. Itachi could see the scars that littered his six pack abs, and some of the tattoos that were on both of his muscular shoulders. He was an impeccably fine man. On his right shoulder, Kisame had a tattoo of a shark with a detached and slightly mutilated arm in it's mouth. In the left, he had the kanji sign for peace, right where most people would have their anbu tattoos. When he realized that Kisame had made a comment on his morning appearance, he chose to give him the response that he had given him as he was looking at his tattoos and body, nothing.

He got out of bed, walking towards the bathroom to take a shower.

"Oi, you're not going to give me back my cloak?" a door to the face Kisame's only response.

Itachi took off the cloak, folded it neatly, then placed it on the toilet seat. After taking a short shower, he noticed that the cloak on the toilet had been replaced by the clothes that he had worn yesterday. They were clean and pressed, and had a little note on them in scrawled hand writing. Itachi picked it up as he toweled his hair dry.

'_Oi, Kiddo,_

_It was a bitch getting these clothes of yours cleaned like this. I noticed that yesterday, they were all dirty, and had a few blood stains on them. I'm not doing this again._

_-Kisame'_

Itachi allowed the small white towel to hang on his shoulders as he reread the small note. He smiled gently when he read the word 'kiddo'. He had never been called kiddo before. It was sweet and endearing, he enjoyed the name. He made sure to dry off completely before stepping into his clothes. He was surprised at how soft and clean they felt on top of his skin. Wearing a black shirt with fishnet underneath, and baggy pants, Itachi stepped out of the bathroom feeling very clean and cozy.

He noticed Kisame lying down on the bed leisurely, reading a familiar orange book.

"You read that horrid book too?" Itachi walked over to his bed, releasing the towel that held his hair, allowing it to fall over his shoulders.

"Yeah, it's great! An awesome jack off story, wanna read?" Kisame wiggled his eyebrows suggestively

Itachi scoffed as he combed his hair, working through the knots and tangles that came with towel drying, "I wouldn't be caught dead reading such filth. I'd rather read classic literature,"

"Oh, you're _that kind of book worm," Kisame chuckled again, _

"_Are you trying to insult me?"_

"_No,"_

"_Good," Itachi got up after putting his hair in his low pony tail. "I believe you were the one who wanted to wake up at the crack of dawn? Well, I hope you know it is nearly seven,"_

"_I know, I was just waiting for you to get spruced up for me!"_

_Itachi fought the urge to roll his eyes, "Are we going or not Kisame-san?"_

"_Alright, alright," Kisame got out of bed, tucking the book into his cloak, something that Itachi's former anbu partner, Hatake Kakashi did a lot. "Ready to go, kiddo?"_

"_Yes,"_

_Kisame got out of bed then slid on his sandals. He threw his black cloak with white trimmed red clouds over his broad shoulders, allowing it to conceal his body. Itachi slid into his shoes as well. Soon after, they exited the inn, Miko wasn't there this morning, Itachi was slightly glad. He felt he would have done something rash and irresponsible if he had seen her again. _

_Shortly after leaving the village, Kisame had brought up a very important conversation, "Kiddo, soon we're going to have to get you something to conceal your face. Maybe a hooded cloak or a mask or something,"_

_Yes, of course. He had dissected himself from his village in order to look for Sasuke. He was now a rogue ninja on the run. Of course, people would be after him, it made perfect sense. Itachi was an S-class ninja that easily achieved a spot in the bingo book. Konohagakure would become worrisome about his whereabouts and sooner or later think he had gone off to do whatever he deemed necessary to search for his brother. Who knows, Sandaime-sama may be thinking something totally different than the council as a whole. They may take him as a potential threat against the leaf, and deem him a criminal because he had decided to leave the leaf and go rogue. Itachi sighed, frustrated with his new predicament at hand. Kisame was right about one thing, he would have to conceal himself somehow as to not cause suspicions to arise. He was a well known ninja, albeit, he was proud of his ranks and his reputation, they weren't helping him at all in situations such as this._

"_Yes, you're right, Kisame-san. Where do I get the cloak that you have?"_

"_You sort of have to join a little club I'm in," Kisame grinned a shark toothed grin_

"_Club?"_

"_Yes. We're called the Akatsuki,"_

_Itachi's blood ran cold._

_A/N: This fic came to me when I was either coming back from Detroit or when I was playing an MMO. Either way, you can blame my imagination. I think Itachi is pretty OOC in this fic. But, then again, I put myself in his shoes and found myself breaking down crying multiple times. But then again, I'm not a hardened ninja. Oh well._

_Review or bust, is what I say._


End file.
